The traffic flow and the number of accidents per day have not been reduced in Lahore despite the construction of wide signal-free corridors, apparently, because of the increasing traffic in the city. According to reports, a total of 3.99 million vehicles have been registered in Lahore during the last decade. This list includes a range of vehicles from motorcycles to trucks. How do we reduce the number of vehicles on the road?

Although many cities across the world have attempted to alleviate traffic congestion by increasing road capacity, most of them are now exploring ways to mitigate the economic and environmental damage caused by car dependence. In many cities like New York City in the 1960s and San Francisco in the late 1950s, community-led movements were able to mobilize the public to prevent neighbourhood destruction and urban highway development. In other cities like Seoul and Bogotá urban highways had to be torn down at a huge cost many decades later. The lesson is clear: we need to avoid the mistakes of the past and invest in the right types of infrastructure today.

Shehroz Irfan,

Lahore.